ELLENVILLE – The Village of Ellenville has officially phased out live in-house police dispatchers. Emergency calls are now routed entirely through the Ulster County 911 Communications Center. Residents calling the police department’s direct station line for non-emergencies are now met with an automated menu, directing them to leave a voicemail.
To avoid any confusion, Ulster County Commissioner of Emergency Services Everett Erichsen explained what changed and what didn’t change.
“The Village of Ellenville has always been part of the county 911 system. You pick up the phone and dial 911; you are calling the county 911 system, and that call does not go to the Village of Ellenville PD,” And it never did.
But now when you call the ten-digit village number, it will be answered by a digital system. The human dispatcher is no more. Remember, 911 is for emergencies only.
“Just your everyday inquiries, such as water bills or tax bills, and the like, should never go to 911, because then you are tying up a 911 line,” Erichsen said.
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